WestMARC is an NHS department within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that provides wheelchair services and other rehabilitation technology services such as prosthetics, Environmental Controls and gait analysis, to people in the following Health Boards:

The first thing to do is to discuss it with your General Practitioner (your GP) who may refer you directly to WestMARC or to the District Nurse, Physiotherapist or Occupational Therapist to help fill in the referral form.

After the referral form is completed it will be sent to the Wheelchair Service at WestMARC.

WestMARC may need to take some measurements, in order to fill in the referral form and discuss with you how you think you might use the wheelchair.

Your referral form will be read by an Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist or a Clinical Engineer who will make an assessment of the type of wheelchair that you require to meet your individual needs.

If it is to be a standard wheelchair, the staff will contact you to arrange for it to be delivered to you. If not, they will get in touch with you to arrange to see you either at WestMARC, a local clinic, or at home to decide which is the best type of wheelchair that meets your needs.

If you need a wheelchair for only a short time, then a standard wheelchair will normally be fine. For example

if you are recovering from an illness or

have had a broken bone(s)

There is a different system for short-term loans and you should check with the hospital where you have been treated to see if a wheelchair can be borrowed from them. Alternatively there are a number of organisations that can arrange short term loans. You can get further information by phoning WestMARC on 0300 790 0129.